The Evolution Experiments
by Nicjpat
Summary: All 151 native Kanto Pokemon have been documented and accounted for. So why are there reports of Pokemon evolving further into new, more powerful forms not listed in the Pokedex? Professor Oak enlists some help to discover the cause of these new evolutions.
1. Chapter 1

The Evolution Experiments

Ch 1

"Have you received the data I sent you?" The young man with spiky brown hair asked into the monitor. The face of an older man in a lab coat could be seen on the screen, staring intently at something off camera.

"It hasn't fully downloaded yet. Can you describe the encounter to me?" The man responded without looking into the camera.

"It was small, barely bigger than a child… and fast. Very, very fast. It preferred to engage with physical attacks rather than creating any distance for a ranged assault… It used both Dark and Ice type attacks and hit Machamp pretty hard with them too. Although a couple glancing blows from Machamp injured it and one solid hit knocked it out… The rest of the trainer's team was pretty standard. A mixture of Kanto and Johto natives." The brunette responded, recalling the battle he had had earlier that day with the strange Pokémon he had never seen before.

"Were you able to question the trainer after? Where they captured it? Diet? Typical behavior? Was it another extrinsic evolution? What about…" The man in the lab coat became more and more animated as his line of questions continued. The brunette patiently waited for the older man to stop his rapid-fire questions before responding.

"All the information I could get was in the report you should be able to open soon. As Champion I can't just interrogate every trainer that comes in here with an unknown Pokémon. Although, yes. I do think it is an extrinsic evolution. It went by the name 'Weavile'. It may be related to the Sneasel family." The brunette responded before standing up. "I've got a meeting with the Four in a couple minutes though. So, I'll have to go now."

"Okay, thank you for the report as always. And congratulations on the win today! I'm proud of you."

"Thanks Grandpa." The brunette smiled before logging off.

* * *

The Town of Pallet was situated on the coast in the South West of the Kanto region. Until recently its only claim to fame had been the world-famous Professor, Samuel Oak. Who had built his lab there to escape the noise and distractions the core cities were infamous for. Out on the frontier of human civilization, he had been free to develop his revolutionary device capable of scanning and storing all know information about any sort of Pokémon one could expect to find in this part of the world, the Pokedex. With the rugged, red device trainers and their Pokémon were able to more effectively fight and defend against the monsters that roamed the untamed wilds that still existed on most of the continent.

Pallets notoriety skyrocketed a decade ago, when two young prodigies left the small town and became the best known trainers in the region. Rising up through the ranks at a pace never seen before, the pair were able to complete the 8 badge circuit and challenge the Elite Four all before their 14th birthdays.

Feeling inspired by such accomplishments at such a young age caused many trainers to make the journey to Pallet at least once in their career to see where the greatness began. Changing the small fishing village into a more tourism-based economy. Inns, restaurants and specialty Pokémon stores started appearing faster and faster and it became common to see high level trainers wondering the cobblestone streets with a powerful Pokémon by their side.

The new Vermillion-Pallet ferry was a product of the increased popularity the small town enjoyed. It connected Pallet to the International Shipping Terminal in Vermillion, where huge passenger and cargo ships arrived. Bringing people and products from all over the world into the Kanto region and just one convenient ferry ride from Pallet.

The small white ferry boat crashed through the waves in the open ocean just off the coast of Pallet. Azure water and white capped waves stretched out in three directions as a shoreline covered in old growth forest rose up from the ocean to the north. There was no definitive line where Pallet ended and the forest began, the bustling little town took up the entirety of an open clearing on the coast and houses and buildings could even be seen amongst the trees on the outskirts of town.

On board the ferry, a slender man with short blonde hair wearing a blue hoodie and faded jeans stood at the highest railing.

"There it is Bug, that's where our next job starts." The man whispered to the yellow puffball clinging to his shoulder. Admiring the rolling hills of uninterrupted emerald forest that spread out before them and the clearing filled with neat, orderly lines of wood-and-stone homes that made up the majority of the buildings. They were able to spot Professor Oak's Laboratory almost immediately. It's curving red roof and wind mill being impossible to miss. The building sat right on the edge of the forest that surrounded the town.

* * *

Stepping off the gangway onto Pallets wooden dock and appreciative to be able to stretch his legs, Patrick scanned the crowd looking for his liaison. Spotting her immediately, he walked over to the young woman in a lap coat and glasses holding a white sign with 'Patrick' written in neat handwriting.

"Hi, you must be Ashley. Great to finally meet you in person." Patrick said with a grin offering his hand to shake.

"Hello! Yes, that's me. How was the trip from Sinnoh?" She asked politely, returning the shake.

"Longer than I thought it would be. We hit some rough weather just off the coast of Canalave City and that really slowed us down. We got to Vermillion a little later than expected but the ferry ride to Pallet was beautiful, Kanto's coast is stunning and Cinnabars volcano was huge." Patrick responded, outlining the highlights of his journey from his hometown.

"The ferry to Vermillion really is nice. I have taken it a couple times to run errands for the professor." She said, glancing at the ferry boat rocking in the surf at the end of the dock. "Are you ready to go? Do you have any bags in storage to wait for?"

"No, just the one. I figured with all the field work I'll be doing it would be best to pack light." Patrick responded, hefting his large backpack further up his back. "I saw the lab from the ferry, it's this way, right?" Pointing down one of the cobblestone streets.

"Correct, about a 20-minute walk." Ashley responded, turning and leading Patrick down the street he had referred to. "I looked into your work with Professor Rowan, your paper on Extrinsic Evolution was ground breaking. If your theory is correct there could be dozens of new Pokémon, waiting to discovered, if exposed to the right stimuli!"

"Thanks. Professor Oak seems to share your excitement. On the phone he mentioned you have already found a handful of undocumented Pokémon already." Patrick responded smiling sheepishly at the compliment.

Passing various homes and store fronts, the pair went on and on about the finer details of Patrick and Rowans research, swapping stories about their respective professors and the differences between Kanto and Sinnoh. Before long they realized they had left Pallet's core behind and were walking up the hill to Oak's Lab on the outskirts of town, the forest looming behind the great white building.

The sliding glass doors opened silently in front of them as the two stepped into the cool sterile environment of Oak's Laboratory. To the right a trainer dressed in black leaned against the wall, an orange and black dog panting happily at his side. Recognizing Ashley immediately, he motioned for the two go on deeper into the lab. The whole lab was an open concept layout that had been firmly 'closed' into various sections thanks to the large machines and overflowing book shelves that formed the 'walls' of each section. Expertly leading the way through the maze of academia, Ashley led them past other research aides quietly going about their business. A couple were hunched over computer, staring intently at lines of data on the screen. Another had a tape measure and was taking the measurements of a squirming Bulbasaur.

Finally reaching the back wall, Ashley stopped at a door and gave a quick knock. A muffled 'come in' could be heard through the door and the pair entered. The small office had 3 desks arranged end to end to form a nearly 20-foot-long surface to display the piles and piles of notes, books, sketches and partially deconstructed machines. A pokéball with a red and purple top and an ivory bottom could be seen lying open, nearly covered by serval drawings of Pokémon and a map.

The sole inhabitant of the room hadn't even looked up at the two as they entered. Choosing instead to look at the video playing on one of the big computer screens on the desk. Hitting pause the man spun in his chair to greet the aides. The older man with neatly combed white hair and a crisp white lab coat jumped out of his chair with the energy of a man half his age and crossed the room to greet Patrick.

"Patrick! It's so nice to finally meet you in person! Professor Rowan has gone on and on about you. And that paper you sent over! Amazing! Everyone in this building has read it at least once. Our laboratory had been beginning to play with the idea of trainer induced evolution but you and Rowan beat us to the punch and just laid it all out for us." Professor Oak said, energetically shaking the younger man's hand with a strong grip.

"Thank you, professor but really. Professor Rowan did most it. I just helped where I could." Patrick said, nervously scratching his head at the barrage of compliments. "And I am glad to be here in Kanto, I can't wait to get started on the new assignment. I haven't done much field work before this."

"Yes, yes. Sit. Let's get started." Motioning to the chair across from him. Ashley seeing that she was no longer needed quietly excused herself and closed the dor. "As you know, reports of new evolutions have been circulating throughout all the regions in recent years. Evolution induced not by strength and maturity but by external objects or circumstances. 'Extrinsic Evolution' as you and Rowan aptly named it.

"The evolutionary stones were the first examples we discovered and they have been researched to exhaustion. But now we have reports of Pokemon reacting to specific armors, specific locations, or even certain times of day. When Red and Blue first 'completed' the pokedex we knew none of this and now we are starting to find glaring holes in the research. I need a research aide to help me fill in these holes and you come highly recommended from Professor Rowan." Oak finished, relaxing back into his chair after his monologue.

"Your work on the Pokédex is amazing. Professor Rowan currently has aides trying to catalogue all the species in the Sinnoh region using the blue prints you sent over. He said he was more than happy to lend me for this assignment… And I am more than happy to be apart of this" Patrick added quickly.

"I'm glad he is making use of it. About your assignment… I need another aide to travel Kanto and collect data on any extrinsic evolutions you may find. Blue became champion and is unable to travel like he once did and Red is doing some tests for me on Mt. Silver. But neither of them is mobile enough to cover everything I want covered. That's were you come in. I want you to travel throughout the region and visit every gym, inn and Pokémon center. Find every trainer you can and look for existence of Extrinsic Evolutions in each town. I have had enough vague reports of these Pokémon, I need someone to investigate to confirm or deny their existence." Oak said before turning back to the monitor. "Here come look at this, I received this video from the Indigo Plateau yesterday."

With both men huddled in front of the monitor, Oak pressed play. The black screen sprung to life showing a huge arena with two trainers on opposite sides of a wide dirt floor. The packed earth was torn up in some places and scorched in others. Great divots were carved into the dirt and craters marked the entire area. Tiny patches of grass struggled to survive in the demolished wasteland and what had once been a tree was smoldering to ash. Positioned in front of one trainer was a large grey humanoid Pokémon with four thick muscular arms. Standing well over seven feet, it towered over the tiny black Pokémon crouched on the opposite side of the battle field. Barely 3 feet the black Pokemon had a red mane of thick, shaggy fur and three wicked sharp claws at the end of each hand.

The referee raised his arm and both Pokémon tensed and after an unheard signal, the fight began. Machamp immediately took a step backwards and dropped into a defensive boxing stance, waiting to see what the challenger would do. The dark Pokémon studied its on-guard opponent for a moment slowly circling, intelligent eyes searching for any weaknesses or vulnerabilities to exploit. After several seconds of hesitation Machamp's trainer barked a command and the overly muscled poleman slowly advanced, closing the distance between the two Pokémon. All four arms were tensed, elbows in and ready to unleash hell at a moment's notice.

Seeing the opening it was looking for, the dark Pokémon dropped to the ground and dug its talons into the earth, mimicking a sprinter start. In a blur of wind and dust the Pokémon shot forward, temporarily disappearing from eyesight only to reappear directly behind Machamp. The superpowered Pokémon barely had time to turn its head before a fist encased in sharp ice slammed into the Machamp's muscular back, between the shoulder blades. The force caused Machamp to stumbled forward and drop to one knee, blood flowed from the small wound it had taken.

The black and red blur disappeared again, creating distance between the two and stopping directly in its original position in front of its trainer. Crossing its arms over its chest, it gave the grey Pokémon a cocky smile.

The Machamp regained its composure and stood back up to its full height, giving no indication that the small wound on its back had even happened. Rolling its shoulders it dropped back into a defensive stance and again waited for the opponent to move. Emboldened by the first successful attack the black Pokémon again dropped to all fours and dug its talons into the hard earth. With another explosion of black fur and sharp claws, it shot forward. Leaving nothing but dust and two fresh tears in the earth.

As soon as the small Pokémon disappeared from view, the Machamp burst into motion. Spinning on one foot with far more grace than it had shown before, it turned to its right and two fists rocketed down to towards the empty space by its side. At that same moment, the black blur reappeared, claws glowing with a sickly black energy and rushing towards the Machamps right hamstring. Attempting to cripple the giant where it stood.

So confident in it's speed, it had not paid enough attention to its muscular opponent and Machamp fell on it like an avalanche. One fist almost connected, hitting the red mane but failing to make contact with the quick Pokémon beneath. The second fist was able to intercept the clawed arm and made contact just below the elbow. The smaller Pokémon spun like a top, the force of the blow sending it flying over the ground before rolling to a stop twenty feet away.

Shakily the small Pokémon got back to its feet. Nursing an injured arm and showing caution for the first time in the fight it glared at its opponent. Both Pokémon again starred at each other, sizing up the other and looking for any weakness. With first blood drawn, the Pokémon were about to take the other more seriously. Before long the black Pokémon once again dugs its talons into the ground, preparing to charge.

The first two engagements paled in comparison to the onslaught that unfolded. Once again disappearing in a blur of black, red and dust the small Pokémon quickly closed the distance between the two. Feinting to the right, it switched directions at the last second to deliver a shallow cut just below the Machamp's armpit. The assault didn't end there as it spun and launched itself at the back of the grey Pokémon. However, Machamp was more than ready to intercept, having spun around with both right arms spread wide and palms open, ready to slap the small Pokémon straight out of the arena. With a startled squeak, the black blur managed pivot over the higher arm with little more than a bruise.

Not stopping there, the black Pokémon reengaged as soon as its feet had touched the ground. Facing off again against a prepared Machamp. The fight continued in a similar manner for several minutes. The small black and red blur shot back and forth, buzzing around the grey Pokémon like an angry Beedrill. Landing several superficial hits that caused blood to drip down the opponents torso and arms. Flashes of black energy and shattering of ice marked each attack as the Pokémon began to chip away at the large grey mountain.

The ongoing attack did not come with out a price, the speed and agility the small Pokémon was exhibiting was starting to wear down its substantial stamina reserves. The Machamp, while bruised and bloodied, continued to attack and counter with the same calm, controlled movements. As the black Pokémon started to slow down, the vicious jabs and uppercuts were coming closer and closer to the agile Pokémon.

The black Pokémon landed after its latest successful hit, a slash that had opened a gash across the opponent's entire broad chest. Spinning quickly and launching itself back towards the huge Pokémon, this time aiming for the grey Pokémon's exposed neck. In its glee to land the final, decisive blow it failed to notice a palm the size of a dinner plate barreling towards it. With a sickening thud of flesh impacting flesh, the open hand of the Machamp connected squarely with the smaller Pokémon's torso.

All the speed the small Pokémon had demonstrated earlier was nothing in comparison to the speed it left the arena as it shot away from the grey muscular Pokémon like a cannonball and impacted heavily with the concrete wall some seventy feet away from the battle. The unconscious body of the Pokémon briefly stuck to the wall, a shallow crater the shape of its body keeping it in place, before it fell forward crumpling to the ground in a heap.

Professor Oak paused the video as the challenging trainer sprinted over to his downed Pokémon, Pokeball in hand.

"Well, what did you think?" Oak asked the stunned aid next to him.

"What was that?!" Patrick asked, finally finding his voice. "It was so fast and held its own against a Machamp! Judging by its attacks it would be dark and ice typing. But I haven't seen or heard of any Pokemon in Kanto, Johto or Sinnoh that would match that. Do you think it is an extrinsic evolution?"

"We believe so. A further evolution from the Sneasel line although we weren't able to question the trainer further." Oak explained.

"Okay, I can see that. From what I have read about Sneasel, it attacks and moves in a similar way but not nearly with that speed or power." Patrick said, thinking back to the Pokédex entry he had read on the ferry ride from Sinnoh. "The other trainer looked like Blue. Was that a champion title match?"

"Yes, Blue records all the matches he has with trainers incase anything interesting happens that he thinks me or Red might want to see. We have seen a few new Pokémon this way but due to his position, Blue can't be seen probing these trainers too much about their Pokémon's abilities, behaviors, etc." Oak explained, name dropping his two prodigies.

"Wow, so do you want me to track this guy down then? Ask him about his team?" Patrick said, already planning on heading to the Indigo Plateau to start snooping around.

"No, no. That trainer headed west back to Johto after his fight. I have already contacted Professor Elm and he has sent out feelers to try and find him. You instead are going to head north towards Viridian. It has the closest Gym and will be the first city you visit on your assignment." Oak said, standing up from his chair. "Now if you follow me, I'll show you to your equipment."

Jumping up and following the aged professor, the two left his small office and back into the maze of the laboratory. Off in the corner Patrick spotted Ashely performing an ultrasound on a very pregnant Golduck. The professor kept explaining as they weaved around various machines and book shelves before stopping in front of a large cabinet near the back door of the lab.

"You'll first want some protection. We have standard issue armor here that you can use. It's not fancy but will protect you well enough." Pulling out a vest, fore arm guards, and shin guards from the drawers. The vest was made of black tightly woven thick material that, while stiff, could bend somewhat without limiting movement. The forearm and shin guards were made of a similar material, but also covered in black hardened plastic plates woven into the fabric itself. "These can protect you against slashing moves and blunt force attacks but don't rely on them to heavily. Stronger pokemon can break this like an egg shell.

"The road from here to Viridian doesn't contain many dangerous Pokémon. The powerful trainers that visit pallet do a good job at discouraging wild Pokémon encounters." Oak finished, handing over the armor as he explained each piece. Patrick slipped on the forearm guards and packed the shin guards and vest to be put on later.

"Thanks, I really appreciate it. Professor Rowan couldn't stress enough the dangers of field work before I left. I see he wasn't over reacting. Professor Rowan said you may be able to supply a Pokémon as well…" Patrick said, looking around hopefully for the promised Pokémon.

"Yes, of course! Rowan mentioned on the phone that you had a Pokémon but it wasn't strong enough for protection. A Joltlik was it?" Oak said, glancing down at Patricks belt but failing to see a pokeball.

After hearing its name mentioned, a small yellow spider crawled out from Patrick's hood where it had been resting and clung to his shoulder. Looking at Oak curiously with its four eyes it, it squeaked a quick greeting and then crawled back into the hood. Eager to continue soaking up the static electricity the fabric generated whenever Patrick moved.

"Yeah, his name is Bug. I found him in the lab a couple months ago. We thought a machine was broken and we were prepared to get rid of it. The aides kept complaining about it having a bug. Well I took off the back panel to see if I could find anything and I found Joltlik latched onto the power cable. So in a way, the aides were right about there being a 'bug' in the machine. That's how he got his name." Patrick explained, reminiscing on how him and Bug met. "But, no he isn't very powerful. He can barely generate a single thundershock."

"Well I think I found you a suitable Pokémon to start your assignment." Oak said, leading Patrick through the back door of the lab and into the ranch portion of the complex. Behind the building stretched an open grassland of tall grass with small clusters of trees and bushes marking the flat expanse. At the far end of the field Pallet's surrounding forest was encroaching on the property. Dark trees and vines giving the resident Pokémon ample areas to relax in the shade or nap in the sun. A fountain gurgled softly to their left and pumped water from deep in the earth to the surface. It marked the source of the tiny stream which ran through the property before disappearing into the forest and to the ocean. Several Rattata were drinking and bathing in the stream before disappearing in the foliage when trainer and professor walked in their direction.

The two took care to step over the ankle-deep water that gently gurgled down the slope and made their way towards a small cluster of trees towards the back of the large property. As they approached, the sound of rustling grass and squeaking could be heard behind the short, thick bushes that grew beneath the trees. Stepping around the foliage, Patrick saw a small scuffle taking place between two small pink Pokémon.

Both Pokémon were rolling in the long grass trying to pin the other and assert dominance. As the two humans watched the pint sized fight unfold one of the rodents quickly managed to flip the other onto its back and pin it to the ground with its body weight. The bottom Pokémon struggled for a few moments before admitting defeat and laying still.

Now that both Pokémon had stopped moving Patrick could get a better look at them two animals in front of him. Barely reaching his knee, the Pokémon stood on all fours with a dull pink hide covered in tiny spikes that ran in 3 ridges along its back. On top of its head sported two huge ears that twitched and rotated in response to sounds around it. Between the two ears on its forehead was a large sharp horn whose tip glistened slightly in the sun. Seeing the audience, it quickly hopped off its fallen opponent and bounded over to the professor on short strong legs.

"Well done, Nidoran! You have improved so much!" Oak said, encouraging the tiny pink Pokémon. Producing a small blue berry from the depths of his lab coat the Professor tossed it at the small Pokémon, who happily nibbled on the treat. "And you did a great job too! I'm sure you'll win next time." Oak said lovingly as he bent down and gently stroked the defeated Pokémon who had just flipped back over from it back. Producing another blue berry to give to the clearly upset Pokémon, Oak turned back to Patrick.

"A Nidoran, eh? Is this the Pokémon you were telling me about?" Patrick said, eyeing up the larger of the two Nidoran who had finished its berry and was standing proudly after its victory.

"Yes, Nidoran is the Pokémon I had in mind. He has gotten a bit territorial over the past couple of months and has started picking fights with the other resident Pokémon. Usually I don't mind a little rough housing, but Nidoran are poisonous to Pokémon not of its species and I am worried it might poison some of the other residents by accident." Oak said, who had picked up the defeated Nidoran and was scratching it behind the ears. Making sure to avoid the venomous spikes along its back.

"How poisonous are Nidoran? Exactly?" Patrick asked, cautiously looking at the pink Pokémon's many, many spikes.

"Human aren't affected too badly. The injection site will turn red and bruise and you'll become feverish for a few days. Cold sweats, nausea, migraines, aching joints are all likely symptoms. But the human body is large enough to fight it off. Smaller or frail Pokémon are a worry though. Many of the young Pokémon I have here will succumb quite quickly." Oak answered casually, still holding the venomous pin cushion in his arms as if it were a Meowth. "Of course, I'll send you off with an ample supply of antivenom just in case." Oak added, almost as an afterthought.

Feeling a little better about the existence of an antivenom, Patrick bent down to introduce himself to his new Pokémon. "Hey buddy, you are going to be coming on an adventure with me. We are going to find lots of Pokémon for you to beat up. How does that sound?" Patrick said softly, trying to be as calming as possible to the suspicious Pokémon.

Eyeing Patrick in front of it, the Nidoran sized up the new trainer and took a small step forward. A flicker of relief flashed across Patrics face as the Pokémon seemed to accept its new trainer… Before the tiny Pokémon hissed and flexed all its spines at once making it look quite a bit bigger. The Nidoran pressed its ears back against its body and aimed its sharp horn at the trainer, a small droplet of clear liquid fell off the tip from the movement. Hissing, it took another step forwar.

At the sudden sign of aggression, Patrick shot back up and was about to back away before Oak's voice cut in.

"Don't back up!" Oak said quickly. "It is challenging you for dominance. Unzip your jacket and raise your arms over your head. Try and look as big as possible. And don't look away!"

Following the old professors instructions Patrick slowly unzip his hoodie and let the sides flare out, adding width to his body. Raising his arms over his head, he also spread his feet wide, taking the most dominant stance he could think of. At the display of 'strength' that Patrick was showing, the Nidoran took a small hesitant step backwards but held its ground.

"Excellent, now take one quick step forward and shout at it." The professor said, happily watching the interaction between trainer and Pokémon.

"HEY!" Patrick shouted, lunging forward and stomping heavily on the ground. "I am bigger than you! I could punt you all the way to that tree!" Trying to keep up the aggressive shouting but unsure exactly what to say.

The shout being the final straw the small Pokemon quickly bolted into the bushes nearby and disappearing.

"The shouting was a little more graphic than I expected but overall you asserted your dominance. Nidoran will be significantly easier to control on your journey." Oak said, letting the smaller Nidoran jump from his arms and dash into the bushes following its brethren. "A quick note however, Pokémon have a remarkable ability to understand meaning behind speech even if they don't understand the words exactly. So try not to threaten your Pokémon with… punting…"

"Oh, uh… sorry about that." Patrick said, scratching his head sheepishly. "I couldn't think of anything else to say at the time."

"Well, I'm sure Nidoran won't hold it against you. Tomorrow we will work on getting the two of you acquainted and you should be field ready within the week!" Oak said, turning and heading back to the lab. "In the meantime, I'll show you the user interface of the Pokédex and how I want you to input data."

"Yes sir!" Patrick said, falling in line with the older professor as the two made their way back over the grassy field towards the lab. Neither noticing the pair of red eyes staring curiously at their retreating forms.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Adjusting his pack to a more comfortable angle, Patrick glanced around the empty room that had served as his bedroom to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. Seeing his reflection in the mirror mounted on the wall, he paused to take a look at his new outfit.

Most of the clothes he had worn from Sinnoh weren't deemed durable enough and he was forced to shop around Pallet for replacements. He still sported his baggy blue hoodie that easily hid the body armor protecting his torso and forearms. Around his waist was a new Pokéball belt which magnetically held six red and white Pokéballs. A dark pair of hiking pants covered his legs and ended with a pair of rugged, stiff black combat boots. Confirming all his belongings were accounted for he closed the door and left the building.

Over the past six days Patrick had been staying at a small guest house near professor Oaks lab. The house, a quaint stone and wood two story building, was owned by an elderly lady who often rented to trainers passing through. The room Patrick had been staying in had a small, comfortable bed for him but also a large cushion on the floor near the foot of the bed, meant for any Pokémon who wished to sleep outside of their Pokéball.

The walk from the house back to the lab only took several minutes along the cobble stone road and Patrick waved and nodded to people as he passed, having been acquainted with many of the neighbors during the stay.

Barely slowing down, he passed through the sliding glass front doors of the lab and into the air-conditioned space he had become used to. Greeting Dave, the security guard, and giving his Growlithe a quick scratch behind the ears Patrick headed towards the back door where he was to meet professor Oak.

Weaving through the books and machines and dodging assistants as they rushed back and forth performing various experiments and research projects. Absentmindedly he noted the similarities and differences between this lab and the one he had been working in with professor Rowan in Sandgem Town. While both p

rofessors were experts in their respective fields, professor Oak took a much more laid back, hands off approach to his research aids work and assignments, who were free to research whatever they may have found interesting. The piles of notes, books and diagrams would also have been unacceptable in Rowans Lab. In Sandgem, every aide had his or her research assigned to them and they were to give morning briefings on any progress or breakthroughs. If Rowan disapproved of methodology or if their thesis wasn't strong enough, then the project had to be re-proposed from scratch.

Finally reaching the back door and opening it to the bright morning sunshine on the other side, Patrick stepped into the pasture. Oak was already outside refilling some feed barrels with grains, fruits, and vegetables that Pokémon could eat at their leisure. An old Taurus, whose shaggy brown hair on its neck and shoulders had streaks of grey in it and one of its large curved horns was broken off at the base, waited patiently for the professor to move aside.

Seeing Oak was temporarily occupied Patrick brought two fingers to his mouth and let out a shrill whistle that pierced the morning air. In response, a patch of tall grass started rustling on the fair side of the enclosure and a small pink blur shot out from foliage. Covering the ground between them quickly, it launched itself into the air and was expertly caught by Patrick.

Nuzzling its cheek into Patrick's chest and a keeping the venomous spike away from Patrick's skin, Nidoran happily said hello to the trainer it had been working with for almost a week. The two of them had grown close over the past few days as Oak had instructed them on various bonding exercises and battling tactics. Ashley had also helped when she was available. She had a powerful Ivysaur that Patrick and Nidoran had been unable to best despite how many different strategies they came up with.

Oak, having finished filling the feed barrels, was slowly walking towards them. A large orange rodent with a long tail waded through the tall grass behind him. The soft crackle of static could be heard every time its fur brushed against itself.

Before either human could say a greeting. The yellow puffball named Bug crawled out of Patrick's hood and launched itself towards the Raichu, attaching itself to the fur and happily absorbing the residual electricity Raichu's body produced. Raichu, who had met Bug several days prior barely acknowledged the yellow parasite and instead opted to lick its fur near where Bug had landed.

"Good morning Patrick and Nidoran." The professor said cheerfully, "And good morning Bug." Turning to great the small fuzzball that hadn't moved since attaching itself to its hosts fur.

"Sorry about that, Bug can be a bit of a glutton when near electric Pokémon." Patrick said sheepishly as his Pokémon attempted to absorb as much electricity as possible before they departed.

"Not a problem, Raichu doesn't mind and I don't think there will be many electrical outlets between Pallet and Viridian for Bug to recharge." Oak said. "Have you fully packed? I have a few places on the map to point out to you before you head out so let's head to my office."

Confirming that he was indeed packed he followed the old professor back into the building. Nidoran and Raichu following the pair inside.

* * *

"- and another of Viridian's gym leaders has quit. So, you will most likely not be able to get your first badge certification there. Instead you should continue heading north to Pewter" Oak said, tapping each town on the map respectively. "Now this change does take you through Viridian forest sooner than I would have liked. It can be very dangerous. So, I recommend waiting in Viridian until a more experienced trainer or a caravan passes through and tagging along with them through the forest." His finger now resting on the dark green patch of the map between the two cities.

"I have already looked at the dex entries. Mostly Weedle and Caterpie evolutionary lines. But other Apex bug types have been sighted. A Scyther, Pinsir, several Parasect… Ooo and an Ariados!" Patrick said, scanning his new Pokédex on the information it had on the forest.

"Let's hope you don't run into any of them. The Pokémon you listed are not to be taken lightly." The usually light hearted professor growing serious.

"Yes, sir." Patrick responded, the excitement of seeing a rare and powerful Pokémon was subdued slightly by the fact that such an encounter would likely be fatal.

"The trek to Viridian from Pallet is an easy one although it is mostly up hill. Any Pokémon you encounter should be relatively weak. Nidoran will be able to protect you well enough. You should get there by tomorrow evening and you have more than enough rations to get you there. Any questions?" Oak said, finishing up Patrick's final briefing.

"No Sir, I'm ready to go. I'll contact you along the way when I find any Extrinsic Evolutions." Patrick said, folding up the map and putting it into his pack. "And thank you. I appreciate being chosen for this assignment." Reaching out his hand.

"You are more than welcome, and please be careful." Oak said, grasping it in a firm hand shake. "Last time I sent out trainers, they ended up toppling a criminal empire."

* * *

Waving goodbye to Ashley, who had accompanied him to Pallet's northern gate, Patrick set his eyes out to the sea of tall green grass and the well-worn dirt trail that wound its way north. His feet felt light as he walked along the trail, excitement at finally getting out of a lab and being able to work with Pokémon made the first few hours pass by quickly.

The trail he followed grew wider and narrower in different parts. Occasionally branching off to small homesteads that could be seen in the distance. Nidoran dutifully kept pace next to his trainer, giant ears twitching back and forth search for any sign of danger. Even Bug, who usually preferred the dark of Patrick's hood was perched on his shoulder. Curiously watching the rolling hills and waving stalks of grass as the group slowly moved north.

The uneventful hours had taken the edge off of Patrick's attention and he didn't notice the rustling grass further up the road until Nidoran hissed and jumped in front of Patrick. Putting itself between the threat and its clueless trainer.

The entire party froze and waited as the patch of moving grass slowly moved closer and closer to the road. A small purple snout emerged from the grass, followed by a rodent's head and ears. Fully stepping out from the grass, a large purple and tan rat appeared in the road in front of them. A long purple tail waved casually behind it in the air, the end of which was curled over slightly. The rat, not expecting to run into a trainer had walked almost halfway across the path before spotting the group out of the corner of its eye.

Startled, it spun around to face the new threats. Crouching low it barred its sharp chisel-like front teeth and hissed, the fur along its back standing up and its small red eyes assessing the two challengers. Nidoran rose to its challenge and responded with a hiss of its own. Spikes along its back trembling and its horn dripped with venom. The two small Pokémon squared off against each other, purple versus pink, each trying to appear larger than the other.

"Okay buddy," Patrick said, whispered to his Pokémon. "When he starts to advance-

With a battle cry, Nidoran charged towards the rat. All semblance of a strategy lost as the Pokémon succumbed to its instincts and battle lust. Dropping its head and aiming its sharp horn at the Rattata, it was unable to see the nimble opponent dart to the side at the last moment, clearing the deadly horn and venom by a comfortable margin. Quick as lightning the rat lashed out at its opponents exposed side with its small sharp claws. Drawing three small lines of blood and a startled squeak from the wounded Pokémon.

Turning quickly to face the Rattata, Nidoran stretched out its front leg to make sure the scratches were only superficial. Satisfied that it hadn't lost any use of its limbs, it leveled its glare back at the rat, a new fury flashed behind its eyes. Charging again, Nidoran kept its head up and instead spun in the air to deliver a powerful kick to the Rattata's side as it tried to dodge a second time. The successful blow caused the rat Pokémon to skid and roll several times along the dirt road before stopping next to Patrick.

Rat and human blinked at each other for a moment. Both surprised to suddenly be in such close proximity with the other. With a curse, Patrick stumbled backwards trying to make some distance between the two and instead fell backwards, landing heavily on his back.

Seeing the vulnerable position Patrick was in, Rattata forgot about his previous opponent who was now further up the path and instead set its eyes on the downed trainer in front of it, specifically the exposed neck. With a hiss, it lunged through the air towards the trainer.

Nidoran, who realized too late that it wasn't the focus of the battle anymore, threw itself forward as well. Desperately trying to close the distance and intercept the rat before it could reach its trainer.

Seeing the lunging rat, Patrick thrust his left arm out in front of him to protect his face and neck while the right hand fumbled with the clip on his belt to release the collapsible baton secured there. With a small impact, the rat collided with Patrick's forearm, its razor-sharp teeth cutting through the sleeve of his hoodie like paper. However instead of cutting into the warm, soft skin beneath, the chisel shaped teeth were stopped by a layer of hardened plastic secured along Patricks forearm. The armor that he had been given by Oak days earlier.

While the Rattata's jaw was clamped on onto the armor like a vice, Patrick finally released the baton from its clip and with a flick of his wrist extended it to its full length. With a battle cry, Patrick shouted as he brought the heavy rod of black metal down onto the Rattata's head and snout. Dazed, the Pokémon fell away and the pressure on his arm eased. Throwing the limp Pokémon to the side and scrambling back onto his feet, Patrick brought the baton back up. The Rattata shakily got to its feet and rather than face the trainer a second time, darted off into tall grass and disappearing.

With the realization is first battle was over, all the tension flowed from Patrick's body and he collapsed onto the ground. Kneeling on the ground and still staring at the spot where Rattata disappeared, he reached into his back pocket and brought out his gleaming red Pokédex, no worse for wear despite being landed on during the fight. Flipping it open, Patrick quickly scrolled through the menu before finding Rattata's profile.

"_Rattata can live wherever it can find food, which it searches for most of the day. Thanks to its sharp fangs, it is able to eat nearly anything. When it is threatened, Rattata can deliver a powerful bite. Its large teeth are also useful when using its former __signature moves__, __Hyper Fang__ and __Super Fang__. Its hardiness lets it live in many environments, although it mainly lives on __plains and savannas__. Because it reproduces so quickly, a pair of Rattata can quickly colonize an area.__" _The small robotic voice read out. Patrick scrolled down and read the trainer notes and assessments underneath.

"Threat level Minor!? A minor threat level almost turned my arm into ground beef!" Patrick shouted, incredulous that such a Pokémon wasn't considered a bigger threat. Looking up to Nidoran to see if he felt the same way, Patrick noticed that Nidoran was standing further away than usual and not making eye contact with Patrick choosing instead to look guiltily down at the ground.

"Hey Nidoran, it's alright. It was our first battle, of course we were going to make some mistakes." Patrick said softly, reassuring the Pokémon and slowly reaching his arm out to scratch Nidoran behind its large ears. "Remember professor Oak said that I should have my baton out as soon as a fight begins. Next time we'll both do better."

Rummaging in his pack, Patrick pulled out a small bottle of antiseptic spray. "Now hold still as I take a look at your cuts."

* * *

The injury taken from the Rattata had proved to be only superficial and no real damage had been done. Patrick had cleaned and sprayed the area down, which earned him several glares from the disgruntled pink Pokémon, and was about to start wrapping the area in protective gauze when Nidoran had decided he had had enough and bounded out of arms reach.

The rest of the day passed without another attack and soon the sun was starting sink toward the western horizon. As the shadows began growing longer the party started looking for a suitable place to find set up camp. This proved harder than expected and by the time Patrick had selected his camp site the sun was already touching the western horizon and the sky was a wash of reds and oranges. The camp site, a protected grove of trees that shielded the party from anyone walking along the road as well as from the wind that occasionally swept through the rolling hills south of Viridian. The sun had fully set by the time Patrick had set up his sleeping mat and he had opted to eat his rations cold rather than start a fire to warm them up.

While Patrick was busy preparing the camp site, Bug had also been busy. He had quietly encircled the entire grove of trees with thin, electrically charged web. The strands were barely visible and had enough charge in them to stun an intruder and alert the group to its presence.

Feeling safe surrounded by webbing Patrick quickly fell asleep, giving Nidoran the job of the first watch with orders to wake up Bug and then him for their respective watches.

* * *

"My neck!" Patrick complained to no one in particular as he packed away his sleeping bag and put it back into his pack. The previous night's sleep on the hard ground had left Patrick with a kink in his neck and he was gingerly rotating his head back and forth to loosen up the aggravated ball of muscle.

The first rays of sun were barely over the horizon by the time Patrick was packed and back on the road. The webbing that had protected the campsite during the night had degraded and now hung in wispy strands that blew gently in the wind around them.

Breakfast was eaten on the road, this time an unsatisfying mixture of dried jerky and nuts. Although it was boring, the items were calorically dense and nonperishable, making them ideal for travel between the major cities. Nidoran happily hopped from patch of grass to patch of grass, sampling a few blades as they went and pausing at certain plants that must have tasted better than others. Bug was also content with his breakfast which consisted of several batteries that Patrick gave him to suck on, draining each of them of power within minutes.

The trio had no other problems with wild Pokémon over the course of the trek, although a few Spearow circled them above for almost an hour before deciding no one in the group was close to death and flew off in search of more sickly prey. The landscape the group had travelled through was slowly changing as the rolling hills gave way to a more level landscape and the amount of foliage around them grew more numerous. Shrubs, bushes and trees now covered grassy fields on either side of the trail.

As predicted, Patrick reached the outskirts of Viridian by late afternoon. The road slowly became wider and better taken care of and the dirt road transformed into stone. Low stone walls grew from either side of the road to frame their path into the city.

This far from the city, only farms and home steads dotted the countryside. These hardy people worked the land and supplied Viridian with much of the crops the residence of the larger city enjoyed. Although it was already late into the growing season, there were many fields that still laid barren and some houses looked long abandoned. The folks Patrick did pass working in the fields eyed the trainer suspiciously, usually accompanied by several Pokémon who also watched the group pass.

Houses, shops and inns took the place of farms and fields and Nidoran took this time to curiously sniff and poke at the structures. Despite the obvious presence of civilization, very little people were actually moving about the street and those who did quickly hurried about their business. The buildings also looked more dilapidated than they should in such a big city, many of which looked like they had been abandoned. The city wall that divided the outer city and the inner city sprung up quickly. The wall was made of light grey stone and stood nearly a dozen feet tall and several feet thick. Hanging menacingly over the road was a raised portcullis, its spiked bottom ready to be dropped at a moment notice. Unconcerned with the obvious threat hanging above his head, a middle-aged man in a dark green uniform stood in the rode, checking papers or ID of the occasional people who walked into the inner city.

Patrick took his place at the back of the short line and quickly it was his turn to enter. Walking up to the older man, Patrick noticed the sturdy black baton fastened to his left hip and the 3 pokéballs, glittering on his right hip.

"What's your business in Viridian." The man asked gruffly, eyeing the pokéballs on Patrick's belt and the pink rodent that was nervously glued to Patrick's right ankle.

"I'd… um… like to visit the Viridian Gym for a Badge Certification." Patrick responded. Peering past the guard at the inner city, sheltered by the walls.

"Well you're out of luck, Gym leader went missing last week." The guard responded gruffly. "We won't be able to certify anyone until Indigo sends us a replacement, which could take months. You can still head to the gym to train and sharpen your skills. Our class schedule is a little light right now but there is plenty to keep you and your Pokémon busy."

"Okay, uh… thanks. I'll do that." Patrick said, unsure what class schedule the guard as referring to. Taking a step forward to moving into the city, but a green clothed arm quickly blocked his way.

"Kid, I still need to check your ID."

"My what?"

"Your trainer ID, you'd have to be registered to buy those Pokéballs. It's the same piece of paper you used when you bought em." The Guard said, beginning to lose patience with the long interaction.

"I didn't buy them; they were given to me when I started my job. I'm working for Professor Oak in Pallet." Patrick responded, desperately trying to remember if he had been given a 'trainer ID' at any point during his orientation at the lab.

"Oak, Eh? Do you have a Pokédex then?" The guard responded, glancing at Patrick's pockets. "It'll be on that."

"Yeah, its right here." Pulling the small red device out from his pocket and flipping it open. The screen automatically lit up, showing the menu screen with various Icons.

"Find the icon that says 'Profile' or 'ID' and click it for me." The man said, looking down at the screen of the Pokédex as well.

Following the man's instructions, Patrick found his Trainer ID on a page he hadn't been on before. Lighting up the right side of the screen was a picture of Patrick's face, taken at Oak's lab a week earlier. A six digit 'ID No' was directly beneath it. On the left side of the screen had information such as Patrick's full name, registered Pokémon (2), Badge level (0) and job history (N/A).

"No Badges? Well sorry but you won't get your first here. Viridian is infamous for having leaders go missing ever since Red drove our old one out of town. Bastard…" The guard said, trailing off at the end. "Anyways I'd say train up here and head through the forest to Pewter. You can backtrack and get Viridian as your second badge if we have a leader by then." Jotting down Patrick's ID number, he was ushered through the gates.

* * *

The Viridian gym had once been one of the most respected gyms in Kanto, rumored to have the hardest certification standards, many trainers chose to put off that test until they have gotten badges from the 7 other cities first. Only the most talented and strongest trainers even bothered to get an 8th badge, as 6 was considered competent for most job offers. The Viridian gym thus had very little challengers for most of its existence.

However, its reputation drew many trainers from all over Kanto to the city, with intentions of training at the world class facilities and top tier instructors the gym offered. The trainers would pay membership fees that helped pay for the gyms upkeep and salaries of the employees that worked there.

The trainers, who'd train anywhere from days to months with the gym, would also bring money into the city by buying supplies, housing and food. Viridian flourished for years thanks to draw the gym had on the rest of the world and the citizens were protected from the dangers of the wild thanks to the high concentration of trainers willing to scare off any Pokémon that became too bold around humans.

That all changed 6 years ago when 'the Prodigies', Red and Blue, came to Viridian, aced the certification and crushed the gym leader in battle. After the back to back defeats the gym leader at the time, Giovanni, abandoned his post and took many of the instructors with him. No one had seen or heard from him since. Thus, started the long string of bad luck that befell the gym. New gym leaders would be appointed to fill the void however they would barely last more than a few months before abruptly resigning or disappearing all together. The rumor was that Red and Blue had a personal vendetta against the city and would take turns coming to Viridian in the middle of the night to intimidate or 'dispose of' the new gym leader.

The instability of the gym's leadership brought instability to the city as a whole. With the fall of the gym, trainers stopped coming to train and the revenue stream the gym has enjoyed for years dried up to barely a trickle. Without the presence of so many trainers, the areas Pokémon became emboldened and started breaking into houses and gardens looking for food. With no protection, many citizens had to either move or train Pokémon of their own as protection. Most chose the former, a few the latter.

This led to a partially abandoned outer city where only the toughest or poorest citizens still lived. Derelict houses and run-down farms were common there and explained the level of disrepair Patrick saw when entering the city.

The inner city was protected from wild Pokémon thanks to the wall that had been erected in the days before the Gym was created. The sturdy wall was 2-3 feet thick and made of solid stone. It wouldn't stand up to an Onyx or Snorlax, for example, but Pokémon of that strength were rare and kept to the depths of the wilderness, seeing humanity as too much of a nuisance to interact with. The regions Rattata, Mankey, Tangela and weaker Pokémon were adequately stopped from entering the city.

The inner city was significantly more developed, apartment buildings five stories tall lined the streets and various shops, business and restaurants were wedged between the taller structures. The sun was low on the horizon but the streets were still bustling as people went about their errands or bought food for dinner. However, the inner city had not escaped the recession unscathed. Between the gaps of normal life, the homeless and unlucky could be seen living in the alleys or in shanty towns that had grown in all un occupied land. Lean-tos were propped up against the inner side of the wall and alleys and back streets became their own labyrinths of homelessness, lawlessness and filth.

Asking some locals for directions, Patrick wound his way through the streets towards the city's Pokémon center. To aid travelling trainers, all Pokémon centers had a bright red roof and were made especially visible. Typically located in the center of a city, they were equidistance from the city's multiple gates, allowing trainers whose Pokémon may be critically injured a straight run to the emergency room. Some of the larger city's even had landing platforms on the roof to allow airborne trainers space to land.

During the short walk, Patrick couldn't shake the feeling that eyes were following him from the shadows of the darkened alleys. A feline shape slinked in and out of hiding, keeping a safe distance from the trainer.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The sliding glass doors smoothly rolled aside as Patrick walked up to the entrance of building. The large, squat building was 3 stories high and was a mix between hospital and hotel. The ground floor severed as the emergency room and clinic where Pokémon could have checkups or be brought back from the brink of death thanks to the advanced equipment and skilled nurses and doctors that worked there. A common joke in Kanto was that Pokémon health care was even more advanced the human health care.

The upper floors had small apartments that trainers could rent out while they were staying in the city. The proximity to the emergency room was comforting to the trainers when their Pokémon were especially hurt.

The lobby of the center consisted of a waiting area on the right, where a pair of tense trainers huddled together and shot anxious glances at the door labeled 'Emergency Room'. On the left was a small café that served drinks and simple foods for the occupants of the building. A pink haired lady in a nurse's uniform stood at the front desk directly opposite the door Patrick had just entered through.

Crossing the distance Patrick greeted the lady with a smile.

"Hello, and welcome to the Pokémon Centre. We restore your tired Pokémon to full health. Would you like to rest your Pokémon?" The lady responded in a sing song, scripted voice.

"Um… No thank you, my Pokémon are fine. I was actually looking to rent a room here for a little while." Patrick said, throw off by the greeting.

"I expected as much, most people who need their Pokémon healed run across the lobby and shout before I can finish. Its company policy to greet every one like that though…" The young nurse said, trailing off. "Anyways, how many nights would you like? I have a couple standard rooms available and a deluxe on the top floor."

"Standard is fine, and I'd like to charge my room to Oak Labs. I was told they have an account here..." Patrick said uncertainly, seeing the nurse nod in confirmation he continued. "And I'm not sure about the stay. Maybe a week? I was going to challenge the gym certification here but I'm told there is no gym leader currently."

"I'll put you down for 7 nights with an option to extend then. If you just hand over your trainer card, I'll do the rest." The nurse said, typing on the computer in front of her. Flipping open his Pokédex and finding his profile again, he slid it over.

The process took less than 60 seconds and Patrick was given a key with the number 104 on the key chain. As he turned to leave, a thought occurred to him.

"Have you ever seen or treated any Pokémon in here that you didn't recognize and weren't in the Pokédex database? Usually quite a bit more powerful than an average Pokémon?" Patrick asked, thinking back on the task her had been hired to do.

"Sorry sir, we can't discuss other patients records. Client confidentiality." The nurse said apologetically. "If you are looking for strong Pokémon, the gym is where you'll want to go! They'll be better able to answer your questions."

"Right, of course! I'll go there tomorrow morning." Heading up the stairs, Patrick retired for the night. Nidoran bounding up the stairs behind him.

* * *

The red and white color scheme on the outside of the building continued inside and into the individual rooms. The small apartment Patrick stepped into was a wash of reds and whites. The comfortable looking bed at the back of the room had a bright red comforter and a pair of white pillows resting on top. A pure white area rug covered the center of the space with a desk and chair on one side and a small dresser on the opposite side. At the foot of the bed was a large circular cushion, red on top and white on the bottom, designed to look like a Pokéball.

Walking across the room, Patrick threw his heavy pack onto the desk and collapsed onto the soft bed. The days on the road and sleeping on the ground had taken their toll and his body was protesting. His feet ached from the miles of walking and had developed an impressive blister on one of his heels from the new hiking boots. His shoulders and back were equally sore from the heavy pack he had carried from Pallet and he took some time to rotate his shoulders and loosen the protesting muscles.

"I'm not cut out for all this walking; can I ride on your back when you get bigger?" Patrick said jokingly to Nidoran who had already claimed the large pad on the floor. The small pink Pokémon cocked its head in confusion before going back to dozing.

With a quiet moment to himself Patrick finally realized how he smelled and, against the wishes of his sore muscles, forced himself to his feet to shower before going to sleep. The hot water did wonders to wash away the grime of travelling as well as relax his aching muscles.

Patrick exited the bathroom accompanied by a puff of steam from the confined space. Nidoran was fast asleep on the pad and Bug was on the wall next to a power outlet, trying to chew through the plastic casing.

"Wait, Bug! I'll get that!" Patrick said, running over to the small bug Pokémon before it could damage anything. Taking out a small screw driver in his pack that was specifically for this purpose, Patrick quickly unscrewed the plastic cover exposing the wires in the wall.

With a squeak of thanks, Bug crawled into the opening and latched onto the biggest wire it could find. The hairs on its back starting glowing as it began absorbing the electricity flowing through the wire.

With his two Pokémon satisfied, Patrick also decided to go to sleep. Turning off the overhead light and getting into bed he quickly fell asleep. Unbothered by the soft yellow glow of the Joltlik nightlight sticking out of the outlet.

* * *

Sleeping well past sunrise, Patrick barely made it downstairs before the café stopped serving breakfast. Sleepily he waved to the pink haired nurse at the counter in the center of the room. He had gone to sleep quite early the night before but the journey from Pallet had sapped most of his energy and he overslept. If two days on the road made him this tired, he was worried about the week or so travel it would take to get to Pewter.

Patrick ordered food for himself and a bowl of kibble for Nidoran from a young woman with dyed blue hair at the café and sat down at one of the comfortable seats and low tables that occupied the left side of the Pokécenter.

Flipping open his Pokédex, he located the map of Viridian that had been downloaded onto his device. Each city and major route had been catalogued and added to the device which allowed easier navigation for trainers in unfamiliar territory. The maps weren't updated frequently though and towns that were growing quickly often found the maps useless and dated. Landmarks like the Viridian Gym however were quite stationary and were accurately represented on the Pokédex map.

Since the same kind of people who would use a Pokémon Gym would also use a Pokécenter the two buildings were built quite close together for convenience. The short walk between the two was often called the walk of shame, as a trainer who had failed the gym certification would have to dejectedly walk back to their lodging at the Pokécenter.

Patrick quickly finished his meal and as soon as Nidoran was done his last kibble the two headed out to find the gym.

* * *

Viridian had been a small town for years and had grown organically over a long period of time with little city planning. Besides the wide straight roads leading to the North, West and South gates, the rest of the city was a mass of winding streets and narrow alleys that could quickly disorientate a visitor. The locals found the streets had a certain charm to them and any projects to demolish neighborhoods and rebuild them in a grid layout were quickly shot down.

Patrick and Nidoran were able to navigate the more crowded streets quite easily with Nidoran being so small and agile. Each town and city had slightly different rules as to which Pokémon were allowed out of their pokéballs within city limits. They had already passed several locals and trainers who had various Pokémon following them, including a Pikachu, a Ninetails and a Bellsprout. The rule of thumb to follow was that the Pokémon couldn't be bigger than human sized and couldn't pose as a threat or nuisance. Any fire Pokémon that had open flames were to be kept in their Pokéball and the Grimer and Koffing lines were strictly banned from all cities.

The winding street that Patrick was currently walking down was only a dozen feet wide and lined with Pokémon and trainer specialty stores. It was the most direct way from the Pokécenter to the Gym and the locals knew that and took advantage. Everywhere Patrick looked he was being advertised to. One store was advertising organic, non-GMO kibble and battle items for Pokémon. Another advertised light weight tents, thermal sleeping bags and multi-tools that 'every trainer should own'. The crowds were quite thin here, as there weren't as many trainers looking to by such items as there used to be.

Patrick was admiring a large church he was walking by when he noticed the sign 'Viridian Gym' above the entrance and stopped in his tracks. The structure he had assumed was a church looked more like a gothic cathedral than a Pokémon gym. Made entirely of grey stone, it had dozens of tall pillars around the perimeter that supported the steeply slopping grey roof almost 60 feet above them. Tall stained-glass windows ran in rows along the great stone walls, each window depicting a different scene of Pokémon in battle or at play.

A pair of dark wood doors almost ten feet tall were posited at the base of the huge structure. The wood of the doors was old and thick and a pair of iron door knockers were in the center of each door, each depicting a Rhydon's head protruding through the wood, an iron ring hung from each mouth.

A fountain sat in the middle of the courtyard that separated the narrow street from the imposing structure of the gym. In the center stood a Blastoise carved from a white stone with its two shoulder cannons aimed at the sky. As Patrick admired the sharp angles and deep recesses that gave the building its depth, he began to notice signs of disrepair.

The fountain directly in front of him had no water in it and the Blastoise's cannons which were obviously water sources did not spray water as they should have. There were even dead leaves lying at the bottom of the dry fountain. From his angle on the street Patrick could see that several shingles had fallen from the roof, leaving an off colored brown patch in the otherwise uniform grey. Even one of the beautiful stained-glass windows was boarded up, having been broken earlier and never repaired.

Patrick walked around the fountain and up the couple steps to the imposing front doors. Grabbing one of the heavy iron rings in the Rhydon's mouth, he hit the iron to wood with a solid 'thunk'.

Patrick stood quietly, listening to the thunk echo behind the doors in what must have been a truly cavernous interior. Several seconds later the left doors slowly creaked open and a young woman appeared in the small gap.

"Good morning, can I help you?" She asked uncertainly, looking around to see if there was anyone else behind Patrick.

"Hi, is the gym open? I'd like to get a membership." Patrick replied, motioning to his Pokéballs and the small pink rodent behind him.

"Oh, a trainer! How wonderful! Come in!" The woman said, brightening up immediately. "I thought you might be from the bank! They have been giving us some trouble lately! Oh my, you are so cute!" Squatting down and scratching Nidoran under the chin.

The pink Pokémon in question wasn't sure whether to be indignant about being called 'cute' or just appreciate the neck scratches. He eventually chose the latter.

Stepping inside, the gym was enormous. Stone pillars ran in rows down the length of the interior. Each pillar adorned with ornate iron sconces that held flickering torches lighting the interior with a soft orange glow. Above the trainer's heads, multi colored light streamed through the stained-glass windows and mixed with the orange glow of the flames. Huge unlit black iron chandeliers hung in regular intervals along the length of the room.

In the center of the room was a large square slab of concrete sitting on top of the gyms stone floors. A pillar marked each corner of the slab and chains hung loosely between them, forming a closed off arena.

As Patrick's eyes started to adjust to the darkened interior, he noticed pieces of training equipment, for both humans and Pokémon, situated through the room. Several closed doors lined the walls of the left and right walls. The woman closed the door behind them and a boom echoed throughout the space.

She was wearing the same dark green uniform that the guard at the gate had been wearing the day before. It consisted of cargo pants and long sleeve top and a black flak jacket, both made of the same tough material. A green feather logo was stitched into the fabric on her chest.

"Welcome to the Viridian Gym! My name is Kelly and I'm one of the trainers that work here. What can we do for you today?" Kelly asked cheerfully.

"I originally came to test for a badge, but was told at the gate that there was no gym leader here to invigilate a test. So, I'd like to train here and prepare to go through viridian forest." Patrick responded. Kelly turning noticeably upset at the mention of the old gym leader.

"Cole… He just disappeared without a trace." There was an awkward pause as Kelly was lost in thought. Suddenly realizing that Patrick was still there she tried to brighten up. "But you don't want to hear about that. As for training, we don't have regularly scheduled group classes like we used to but you can sign up for privates with most the trainers here depending on availability. We offer…" Kelly rattled off a list of topics, most of which Patrick could figure out by name but some were just bizarre. Pokémon vs Pokemon, Special Attack Tactics and Aerial Combat all made sense but what on earth was EV training and IV breeding? "Does any of that interest you?" She finished.

"Um… I have had Nidoran for 8 days and we need to get through Viridian Forest alive. What do you recommend?" Patrick asked sheepishly.

"Rent a Pidgeot and fly over…" Kelly deadpanned, not sure whether the request was a joke or not. When Patrick didn't clarify she continued. "But if you can't do that, you'll want Pokemon vs Pokemon, Back Country Conditioning, First Aid if you don't know that and Woodland Combat. I can also show you which articles you'll need to be familiar with on your Pokédex. A couple hours a day for training and you should be ready in… 2 months? Maybe 3 months?"

"What!? Just to get through the forest? But there is a path you can follow! The Pokédex says it's a Moderate threat level." Patrick said, his entire timeline completely thrown off by Kelly's statement.

"Yeah, there is a path. And it's literally crawling with Bug Pokémon. Your Nidoran can probably beat up a few Caterpie and Weedle no problem. But it'll need to beat back dozens, if not hundreds, to get through. And if you meet any evolved Pokémon you are as good as dead. A Beedrill will gut you with its stinger and lay eggs in your corpse. In two months, you should be experienced enough to survive… Probably" Kelly added. "Did you think you could just train for a few days and stroll through?"

"I… I guess I don't have a choice. When can I start?" Patrick said, accepting the new reality that he would be in Viridian longer than expected.

"Right now." A gruff voice said as a man detached himself from the shadow of a pillar. Patrick jumped at the sudden appearance of another person and Nidoran spun and hissed. "You both will need to be more observant if you want to survive the forest. Pokémon vs Pokémon begins now!"

"You're the guy from yesterday!" Patrick realized, recognizing the guard from the gate the day before. The older man had already unclipped a pokéball and tossed it, releasing a Pokémon in a flash of white light.

A mole like Pokémon materialized in the space the pokéball had been. It stood roughly three feet tall but was hunched forward, a thick layer of brown spikes covered its entire back. The rest of its body was covered in tough yellow scales and at the end of each arm and leg were two sharp claws. It's entirely black eyes glanced around at the trainers present before locking onto the Nidoran, who was nervously watching the new Pokémon.

"Sandslash, let's see what they can do!" The man said, grinning at the nervous trainer and now terrified Nidoran. With a grunt of acknowledgement, the larger yellow Pokémon broke into a slow run towards Nidoran. Kelly already knew what was happening and quickly stepped back to give the two Pokémon more space. Patrick was less prepared and just stared as the prickly Pokémon bared down on his own smaller but just as prickly Pokémon.

Nidoran glanced at Patrick looking for a command but when no command came it quickly went on the defense. Ducking under the first slow swipe from the larger Pokémon, Nidoran used its powerful back legs to spring away and give itself more distance.

With a graceful spin, the Sandslash pivoted and closed the distance between the two quickly. This time going in for a tackle. Nidoran sprung to the side to avoid again but the Sandslash was too close and launched itself to the side as well, its shoulder connecting heavily with the smaller Pokémon's torso. Nidoran rolled several times before coming to a stop and shakily getting back to its feet.

"Are you going to help it out?" Kelly asked, leaning over Patrick's shoulder.

"Um, Yeah. Right I should!" Patrick said, snapping out of his trance. "Nidoran! Spray a poison sting when the Sandslash gets close!"

Nidoran gave a quick nod before squaring off against the large yellow rodent that was once again advancing. Trainer and Pokémon failed to notice the guard chuckle at the command.

When the Sandslash was within firing distance, Nidoran lowers its head and raised its back, the poisonous spikes on its back trembling. With a growl it shook its back and small white needles shot out towards the other Pokémon. The small poisonous darts struck the Sandslash all over its torso and arms, however rather than pierce the skin, they shattered against its tough yellow hide. Undeterred by the assault, Sandslash strode threw the attack and backhanded the small Pokémon across the floor.

"Sandslash is a ground type and is covered in thick scales. A weak poison attack like that won't do anything." Kelly commented, still leaning over Patrick's shoulder. "Also, try not to let your opponent hear your commands." She added after a second.

"Thanks for the tips." Patrick grumbled, upset that the poison sting hadn't worked. Nidoran had finally gotten back to its feet. A purple bruise starting to show through its pink skin. "Nidoran dodge the next attack and run over here!"

Nidoran, Sandslash and the Guard all looked quizzically at the odd command. Sandslash refocused on its tiny opponent and threw a slow swipe, purposely allowing the Nidoran to duck under and retreat to its trainer.

When Nidoran got closer to Patrick, he squatted down and quickly and quietly gave Nidoran a list of instructions. Nidoran gave small nods and squeaks after each sentence to show it understood. The Sandslash stood back, arms crossed and waited for its inexperience opponent to rejoin the fight, foot tapping impatiently.

"Let's do it!" Patrick shouted, standing back up. Nidoran bounded over rejoined the fight.

Nidoran stopped several body lengths from the Sandslash and once again showered the yellow Pokémon with Poison Stings. Once again, the small white darts shattered against the other Pokémon's hide. With a sigh at the failed attack, the yellow Pokémon ran through the hail and swiped at the small Pokémon. Prepared for the attack, Nidoran bounded to the side before the yellow Pokémon could attack. This pattern continued over and over again as the two Pokémon darted across the room. Nidoran would fire a hail of poison stings and the Sandslash would stride through, but be unable to attack before Nidoran bounded away.

After one particularly strong poison sting Nidoran bounded away and stumbled upon landing. Its stamina finally starting to fail. Breathing heavily, it turned to see the unstoppable yellow Pokémon bearing down once again. Nidoran tried to back away but felt one of the great stone pillars stopping it from moving. The yellow Pokémon was almost upon it and raised its clawed hand to smack the pink Pokémon across the floor. Just before the spiked Pokémon struck Nidoran's heavy breathing stopped, it tensed its leg muscles and shot straight up into the air. At the apex of its jump, nearly 6 feet in the air, it placed its feet on the huge pillar and shot off horizontally way past the yellow Pokémon below it and skidded to a halt far from its opponent.

The yellow Pokémon had over committed to its attack and its claw struck the stone pillar squarely, chipping the rock. Rubbing its injured paw, the yellow Pokémon turned to see its opponent rocketing towards it. Taking a step back to prepare for the assault, the Sandslash felt the cold stone pressing back into its spines. Launching into the air, Nidoran spun and lashed out with two powerful kicks right into the stomach of the larger Pokémon.

The air was blasted out of the bigger Pokémon's lungs and it fell to one knee, winded. Nidoran backed away to created distance again and then glanced over at Patrick, pride clearly evident on its face. Patrick gave the small Pokémon a smile and a thumbs up in congratulations.

Getting back to its feet, the Sandslash growled and spreads its arms wide. Long sharp claws glittering in the light and its spines on its back stuck straight up, almost doubling its size. Nidoran gulped at the intimidating Pokémon, preparing for an attack. A slow clap filled the large space and stopped both Pokémon from advancing.

"Creative! Very well done!" The Guard said, clapping and grinning. "Using the environment to your advantage against stronger opponents is Pokémon vs Pokémon 101! How long did you say you've been working together?"

"8 days…" Patrick responded.

"Impressive, I would have guessed 8 weeks. Nidoran's movements were sloppy, dodges were slow and its offense was nothing to speak of. But you were creative and you worked well together. So, we aren't starting from nothing." The Guard said, giving his critique of the fight.

"Um… Thank you?" Patrick said, not sure whether to feel complimented or insulted.

"Now when you fight against a Pokémon like Sandslash, you'll want to…"

The lesson began and the guard, who Patrick was later told was named Jason, painstaking went over every mistake Patrick and Nidoran had made during the battle. They then simulated different battles from different positions and the ideal counters to each situation. Like when Nidoran is backed into a corner or knocked on its back or blinded. Jason reminded them that as a primarily physical attacker, creating distance was a viable strategy against Sandslash. But if it had been a Ninetails or Raichu, then close combat was necessary to prevent the Pokémon from releasing long ranged special attacks.

The lesson went for well over two hours before Jason finally allowed the Nidoran to rest. By then its body was trembling with exhaustion and it could barely perform the attacks and counters asked of it. Patrick's mind was equally fried as he tried to remember counters to each situation and then the counters to the counters and the counters to the counters to the counters, and so on. Learning from Jason was like trying to drink water out of a fire hose, you got some but definitely not everything.

"And done!" Jason said, as Nidoran performed its final counter to a vertical swipe from Sandslash.

With a squeak of relief, Nidoran collapsed onto the ground and took huge gasping breaths as it tried to recover. Patrick walked over a gently rubbed his exhausted Pokémon's side and offered encouragement and praise.

Sandslash was barely affected by the demanding workout it had taken part in with Nidoran and calmly walked over to Jason, who gave it a scratch behind its ears.

Jason gave one final round of tips to remember before officially ending the class. As he ended it Takashi strode forward. Takashi had appeared half an hour earlier and had watched the latter part of the practice with interest and spoke quietly with Kelly. He was dressed in a white Gi worn by martial artists and had the same green feather emblem stitched across the chest.

"My turn, Back Country Conditioning is about to begin!" Takashi announced with a grin "And we will start with a fitness test." Nidoran let out a defeated sigh upon hearing this and struggled to get to its feet.

"I'm not sure if Nidoran can handle any more training today." Patrick said, looking uncertainly at his exhausted Pokémon.

"I'm not talking to Nidoran! Come with me, you are about to do a mile for time." Takashi said, striding over to the other side of the huge gym. With a startled 'oh' Patrick quickly followed Takashi.

The perimeter of the gym had a painted white line that served as a track for trainers and Pokémon to run. The entire loop was exactly 200 meters, so Patrick had to run it 8 times to complete his mile for time. At one point during the 4th lap, Takashi had decided that Patrick wasn't running fast enough and released his Graveler to perform a slow roll out attack behind Patrick. The second half of the run was significantly faster than the first.

After the run, Patrick was barely given a chance to catch his breath before he was put through a grueling gauntlet of other physical tests. Pushups, sit-ups, scaling walls, dodging projectiles, balancing on wooden poles, short sprints, long runs, even some light sparing. Patrick had every physical quality tested to its limit as Takashi thoughtfully scored his progress and made notes on his clipboard.

Finally, Takashi called an end to test and went over the results with Patrick. According to his notes, Patrick was entirely average with no exceptional strengths or weaknesses… and that was completely unacceptable. Trainers had to train just as hard as their Pokémon, both physically and mentally, as Takashi saw it.

Takashi had seen Nidoran in combat and had deemed his fitness level as acceptable, so for the next few weeks Patrick was going to be the target of his training sessions. Patrick was given leave for a late lunch and told to return to the gym at 4pm for Woodland Combat.

Blinking as he left the gym, Patrick stepped into the bright afternoon sunshine. He wasn't entire sure what had happened, as he never officially agreed to any of the classes Kelly had recommended to him but nevertheless, he seemed to have a full schedule now. Wandering down the street, the exhausted Trainer and Pokémon went on the search for food.


	4. Chapter 4

The next few weeks passed the same way, with Patrick attending 3 or 4 classes a day. Each morning Patrick would arrive at the gym and immediately be ambushed by Jason and one of his Pokémon. Sandslash was one of Jason's favorites however he also used a Marowak and a Golbat to attack Nidoran. The Golbat was especially difficult, as it could disappear in the darkness of the large gyms vaulting ceilings and then swoop down in Nidoran's blind spot to attack. Patrick and Nidoran quickly learned to use the pillars for cover from the agile bat.

After Nidoran was thoroughly exhausted, it would be Patrick's turn to train with Takashi. Although the other trainer was almost 30 years his senior, Patrick could barely keep up with the older trainers' workouts. The first week had been strictly strength and conditioning before alternating between survival skills and more conditioning work. Patrick could guess what the class would be on depending on what Takashi was wearing. His white martial arts Gi meant strength and conditioning and his green gym uniform meant survival skills.

In the afternoons Samuel would take Patrick into the surrounding forest to battle the local Pokémon and discuss strategies for each Pokémon they encountered. Bellsprout could extend its limbs using vine whip and had a deceptively large attack range. Pidgey and Spearow preferred to swoop down from above, however if their first attack failed, they would typically flee. Mankey were extremely territorial and would drive you out of their territory but wouldn't pursue any further. Samuel would watch each battle and have a Pokémon on standby incase Nidoran was ever in danger of getting seriously injured. Once Samuel's Nidoking entered the battle, the opposing Pokémon would quickly flee rather than face the pink mountain of muscle and venomous spikes.

Even Bug would take part in some of the training sessions. Although still quite young, the spider could fire a few thundershocks and string shots before needing to recharge. Bug even managed to defeat a Caterpie during their latest outing with Samuel, a fact everyone was sure to congratulate the happy insect on.

Occasionally, Kelly would teach some first aid classes to Patrick and show him how to properly bandage and treat himself and his Pokémon while in the wilderness. Although, it depended on her availability. As she oversaw the gym's day to day management, jobs a leader would do if one were present, her hands were full most days.

After the first week Kelly gave Patrick an uncomfortably large bill for all the private classes he had attended. Luckily, most of the classes were subsidized by Oak Labs and Patrick had to pay very little out of pocket. While Patrick's salary for his research work was quite low, his benefits were very generous and Pokécenters and Gym fees were charged to the Lab.

Their intense training schedule was broken up every 4 days by an off day, where Patrick and his Pokémon were expected to rest and recover.

Moving his aching limbs, Patrick slowly rolled himself out of his bed at the Pokécenter and stretched. He had been staying at the center for almost three weeks now and had fallen into a comfortable morning routine.

Patrick would make sure Joltik was fully recharged and then pour some kibble in a bowl for Nidoran to munch on. Next, he would have a shower and let the hot water sooth his aching muscles before heading down the stairs to the lobby of the Pokécenter. Invariably Joy would be in her nurse uniform manning the front desk and Silvia or Barry would be working at the café.

Today was one of Patrick's off days where he was free to wander and explore the city. He had been slowly exploring each part of the city on the lookout for anything interesting or any signs of extrinsic evolutions. None of the trainers at the Viridian Gym had heard of or seen extrinsic evolutions in the city but he had to be thorough. Today he planned on exploring the north west part of the city.

Located between the North and West Gates, the Northwest portion of Viridian was traditionally a warehouse and factory district, used in processing of goods and foods that were funneled into Viridian and then dispersed to the other cities west of Mt. Moon. Most of the products were used by Indigo to the west and Pewter to the north with the smaller towns and hamlets of the region consuming the rest. However, with the downfall in Viridians economy many of the factories were forced to shut down due to lack of a labor force. Since the outer city was no longer a safe place to live, many of the workers had moved to the other towns in the region, mainly Pewter. The north west was now full of dilapidated buildings and empty streets, or so Patrick had been told.

The further Patrick went into the 'abandoned' district the more it came to life. What should have been the emptiest part of the city because the busiest. In the rest of the city the homeless were hidden in the back streets and alleys. However, in the northwest, alleys had become their own shanty towns that spilled out onto the streets. Abandoned shop fronts had been broken into and repurposed into housing, black market dealers and drug houses.

The residents of the district barely seemed to notice the trainer walk through the busy streets. People and Pokémon rushed back and forth, calling out to friends or played dice or cards on the sidewalks. Small vendors sold bowls of a mysterious brown liquid or meat on skewers. Bottles and cans that could be turned in for money were collected and fiercely guarded. Barefoot children ran through the streets, playing with rubbish and chasing or being chased by local Pokémon.

Whenever Patrick came across someone who didn't look to be in a hurry or already in a conversation, he would quickly introduce himself and ask if they had seen any strange or exotic Pokémon in the city.

Many residents were quick to tell him stories of a mysterious or powerful Pokémon that they had seen in the wilds or with a travelling trainer. He had a dozen reports of flaming monsters, sea creatures and living trees. Unfortunately, a quick scroll through the Pokédex usually confirmed the person had seen a rare but documented Pokémon. While an extremely powerful tool for trainers, the Pokédex was still too expensive for an average person to justify purchasing one.

"A purple star! Hovering above the waves! It turned and looked at me with its single blood red eye before disappearing beneath the surf." An older man with an impressive white beard energetically described his sighting of a 'legendary Pokémon'.

"Did it look like this by any chance?" Patrick asked, scrolling through the Pokédex to find the right picture.

"That's the one! Is it legendary? Have many others seen it too?" The man said, staring at the Purple Starfish Pokémon.

"Um… It's called a Starmie, it's uncommon. Usually seen on the coast of lakes and oceans. Not a legendary Pokémon unfortunately." Patrick said to the now disappointed bearded man.

Turning away, Patrick rolled his shoulders and rubbed his temples. He had been doing this for most of the day and hadn't gotten anywhere. Glancing at the sky, the sun was starting dip towards the horizon and long shadows stretched across the street and cloaked the narrow alleyways in darkness.

Patrick scanned the crowd looking for any other people who looked like they could be stopped and questioned. His eyes landed on a large man with a bald head and a scar running along the left side of his face. He was standing alone at the mouth of an alley in a long black trench coat. Catching his eye, he gave Patrick a smirk and motioned with his head to the alley behind him before stepping back and disappearing into the shadows.

"Be on guard, guys…" Patrick muttered under his breath as he walked across the street to the mouth of the alley, confident in his Pokémon's abilities. Nidoran's spines bristle as it bounded in between and around Patrick's legs with nervous energy and Bug tensed up in the folds of Patrick's hood.

Every alley Patrick had walked past so far in the north west had been filled with people and belongings. He had walked through a couple earlier that day but the cramped, smelly spaces usually drove him back to the street. This alley however was completely empty, with only a couple abandoned crates and trash scattered over the ground. And the man, leaning against a building smoking a freshly lit cigarette.

As Patrick approached the man, he realized he had grossly underestimated the size of the man. Infront of the alley, there had been nothing to measure the man against, nothing to use for scale. But approaching him, Patrick tilted his head back to see the man's huge shoulders and face. Thick arms were crossed across his chest.

"Heard you've been looking for rare Pokémon." The man rumbled, pushing himself off the wall and striding over to stand in front of Patrick, who took an involuntary step back. The hairs stood up on the back of his neck as nervous energy raced through his body. As he spoke, the smell of cigarettes… and brimstone?... wafted towards the nervous trainer.

"Y-yeah, I'm travelling Kanto looking for rare Pokémon. Pokémon that haven't been categorized in the Pokédex." Patrick said, mentally berating himself for stuttering.

"Mmm, I might have what you are looking for." The man rumbled in the same bored tone, "My associates and I have amassed a collection of Pokémon that I'm sure a new trainer such as yourself could use." His dead black eyes boring into Patrick's nervous blue ones.

"How do you know I'm a new trainer?" Patrick asked defensively, a little upset that he apparently still looked inexperienced, despite his many hours put into pushing himself and his Pokémon to improve.

"You came into town from the south gate a couple weeks ago. Bee lined straight to Pokémon center and have been training at the gym ever since. Your Nidoran and Joltlik are both young and are training to cross the forest." The man said, taking another drag of his cigarette. "I imagine that they weren't improving fast enough so now you are looking to buy a strong Pokémon to speed things along. With the number of private classes you are taking at the gym, I'm sure you can afford it."

"Oh! That's not what I mean! I don't want to buy a Pokémon, only study it!" Patrick said, taking another step back and waving his arms while explaining. More than a little unnerved by the amount of information the man had on him. "You know… to test and measure, find out the circumstances of their capture or evolution. Diet and preferences. That sort of thing. I work for Professor Oak!" Hoping that name dropping such a prominent figure could gain him some leverage.

"I see… So, you are a waste of my time." The bald man said darkly. Dropping his cigarette and grinding it into the pavement with the heel of his boot.

"If he's one of Oak's, he won't do business with us." A high-pitched voice piped up from behind Patrick. With a start, Patrick spun around to see a petite woman daintily sat on a crate near the entrance of the alley. Dressed in a finely woven green dress with white lace, she casually spun a parasol in her hands of the same colors. Her silver hair was neatly curled and framed an almost childlike face. She looked like she belonged at a royal garden party, not a grimy alley in Viridian.

Realizing he was effectively surrounded, Patrick pressed his back against the alley wall, eyes darting between the two but always keeping both in his peripherals.

"If you won't do business… You leave." The man's bored voice was now impatient. Further down the alley a black canine shifted in the shadows and came gliding toward the humans. Its pointed snout was curled up into a snarl and with every exhale, embers drifted past the wickedly sharp teeth. A pair of ivory horns protruded from the back of its head curled back down, tapered to points. Its lithe, muscular body was covered in coarse black fur and the occasional jagged scar. Muscles tensed like coiled springs, ready to explode into motion. A devil-like tail twitched and waved behind it.

Coming level with its trainer, it let out a low growl that reverberated throughout the alley. The tight space seemed to amplify the noise and Patrick could feel the very air in his lunges vibrating. A puddle formed around the rodent at Patrick's feet, Nidoran had lost bladder control.

"I'll leave." Patrick could barely gasp out as he scooped up his terrified Pokémon and hurried out onto the street. "Excuse me." He muttered as he past the small woman, who merely laughed at him and his terrified Pokémon.

"Ted, darling. That was a little dramatic." The woman's voice floated on the wind behind Patrick as he quickly ran away.

Patrick's back slid down the wall of his room back at the Pokécenter until he was sitting on the ground. Nidoran quickly jumped into his lap and curled up, craving the feeling of safety its trainer provided.

Patrick's mind was racing. Despite all the progress him and his Pokémon had made during the past few weeks, he was obviously still a novice pretending to be a trainer. That Pokémon, a Houndoom if he had to guess, could have ripped all of them to shreds and there was nothing he could have done to stop it.

What should he do now? Technically, nothing the man had said and done was illegal. Patrick and his Pokémon weren't injured, besides their pride, and selling Pokémon is legal if proper protocols are followed. So, he couldn't report them to the police. Should he tell Oak? Situations like that were probably a regular occurrence in his line of work and there was nothing Oak could do from Pallet.

In the end, Patrick decided to keep the encounter to himself and to train harder and learn everything he could so situations like that wouldn't happen again. He had walked into the alley cocky from all the wins Nidoran had accumulated during their excursions outside of Viridian, but he had left being firmly put in his place. Voicing his thoughts to Nidoran and Bug, they both agreed.

"Again." Patrick said, pushing himself off the stone floor of the gym and rubbing his bruised jaw. He was drenched in sweat and his muscles cried for a break as he shakily stood up and faced his opponent. Takashi had been hammering him for over 2 hours with various self-defense drills, a skill Patrick was now eager to develop.

"We should rest." Takashi said, even as he started moving through their drill again. He closed the distance between the two and threw a slow-motion punch at Patrick's chin. Like he had been taught, Patrick shielded that side of his head as he darted forward and under the incoming punch. Once past the arm, he grabbed the onto Takashi in a bear hug, intending to off balance and throw him to the ground. However, his head was in the wrong position and Takashi casually grabbed him in a headlock and tightened until Patrick was forced to tap out or risk passing out. "You will not learn anything if you are too tired to think. Progress will come, you needn't push so hard."

"Not coming fast enough." Patrick muttered to himself, grabbing his water bottle and collapsing on the bench. Images of the bald man and his demon dog had haunted him for days now. It wasn't the fear for his life that haunted him, though he had been terrified. It was the gap in power that existed between him and the man, between Nidoran and Houndoom.

In academia, Patrick had been a prodigy. Graduating from university years ahead of his peers and being accepted to work at the prestigious Rowan Labs. Under Professor Rowan himself. There he conducted a groundbreaking research study that changed the way trainers thought of evolution. And yet… Here he was, a beginner once again.

"You have been a trainer for a month, you are progressing quite rapidly. Why the sudden rush? You seemed quite content last week." The older trainer asked, taking a seat next to his young pupil.

"I met a trainer the other day in the North West. The difference in our Pokémon was staggering. I need to get stronger to match people like that." Patrick said, thoughts once again turning to the man.

"I thought you were training to be able to study Pokémon. To document the undocumented." Takashi said after a moment. "Why do you care if a trainer is stronger than you. Red and Blue are stronger than him."

"I… I don't know. I'm used to being one of the best. I know more about evolution than most people on this continent. It's just hurting my pride… I guess." Patrick said, not happy with his answered but unable to think of a better one.

"Comparison is the thief of joy. There will always be a stronger trainer. Instead, compare yourself to who you were yesterday and strive to be more tomorrow. That's why the Badge Circuit exists, to prove your progress to yourself and others." Takashi said, standing up. "I will end the lesson for the day and allow you time to think." With that, the older man walked away to meet his next trainee, a younger boy with a Rattata.

Pushing open the gym's heavy wooden doors, Patrick stepped into the bright sunshine and made his way down the narrow winding alleyways. Deep in thought, he wove his way through the midday crowds and stopped by his favorite food cart to buy a couple skewers of Taurus meat. Digging in his pockets for change, he took out his bright red Pokédex and kept searching. Glittering in the sun, his Pokédex was a dazzling rectangle of red light.

Until it wasn't.

"What the?!" Patrick shouted, looking around for his missing device. A feline shape dashed down the road, Pokédex clamped in its mouth.

With an indignant squeak Nidoran shot off after the cat and Patrick struggling to keep up as the two Pokémon lead him on a wild chase through the narrower streets of Viridian. Faster than the human, the distance between trainer and Pokémon grew larger as the chase went on. Patrick would lose sight of them when turning a corner before spotting them again further down the block.

Deeper and deeper into the city the feline led them until finally it turned another corner with Nidoran right behind and Patrick further down the street. Patrick heard a victorious squeak and an angry yowl as he rounded the corner after his Pokémon. Nidoran had cornered the cat, a Meowth, and was standing protectively over Patrick's fallen Pokédex.

The Meowth, a large tan cat with its black ears pressed protectively against its scalp, gave another hiss but stumbled forward, appearing very weak. The reason became apparent when Patrick saw the puncture wound on the cat's side and the purple lines of venom moving outward through the feline's veins.

With one last hiss the Meowth collapsed onto the pavement, trembling as the poison began to work.

"Shit." Patrick muttered and he ran forward, grabbing his Pokédex as he approached the downed creature. He had grown lax with carrying Nidoran's antivenom with him and had left his entire supply in his room at the Pokécenter. Looking for a collar, Patrick couldn't find any indicators that this Pokémon had an owner but that didn't mean he was going to let it die.

Gently picking up the Meowth, _Wow she is boney_, Patrick turned and ran back through the alley towards the Pokémon center. Nidoran bounded behind Patrick, confused by why he hadn't received any praise for defeating the thieving cat.

"Hello, and welcome to the Pokémon Centre. We restore your tir-" Joy began to say her line for what felt like the 500th time that day.

"This Meowth has been poisoned, we need Nidoran antivenom!" Patrick shouted, cutting off the nurse as he ran across the lobby the nurse's station.

Joy's cheerful 'customer service' face quickly fell away to one of complete seriousness. Hitting a button behind the desk, the double door to her left flew open. Motioning to 'follow me' Joy rushed through the doors and was met by a pink egg-shaped Pokémon, with an actual egg in a pouch on its stomach, pushing a cushioned gurney towards them.

"Put the Meowth on the gurney." Joy instructed to Patrick, turning to Chansey. "Notify Dr. Williams, tell him a Meowth is in OR 3 in need of stabilization from a Nidoran sting. Time since injection…" Turning to Patrick expectantly.

"Um… 7 minutes?" Patrick said, not completely sure.

"7 minutes." Repeated Joy to the Chansey who was already running back the way it came with the Meowth. "You got here fast, your Meowth should be fine." Joy said as a second Chansey appeared and pushed the gurney towards the doors labeled Operating Rooms.

"Oh good…" Patrick said, sighing with relief. After a moment of silence standing with the nurse. "You were right by the way."

"About what?"

"The people who actually need healing run across the lobby and don't let you finish your greeting." Patrick said, reminding Joy of their first meeting.

"Yup, it's been like that for years." Joy nodded.

Patrick had paced the lobby of Pokémon center for nearly an hour before Joy had banished him to his room with a promise that she would call as soon as Meowth's treatment was complete.

Collapsing on his white and red bed, Patrick gentle scratched Nidoran behind his ears and congratulated him on defeating the Meowth. He then went on to explain that in the future, Nidoran should use less than lethal attacks to subdue any Pokémon they meet in a city. Although Nidoran didn't appear convinced that reducing force was necessary he agreed none the less.

After a quick power nap and no update from Nurse Joy, the two headed back to the gym to meet Samuel who would tell them what skills they would be learning and where they would go for training.

Entering the huge cathedral that was the Viridian gym they quickly spotted Samuel speaking with another trainer before handing her a manila envelope. The trainer, a middle-aged woman clad in black leather armor and matching black combat boots. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a short ponytail to keep it out of her face and she had a black earpiece in her left ear. The skin on the face was tanned and creased with lines, from decades spent in harsh conditions all over Kanto.

Snapping her fingers, a golden-white fox detached itself from the corner it had been dutifully waiting in and padded over to her, its many tails floating behind it. Coming up to the trainer's waist, the huge fox rejoined its trainer and they both walked towards Patrick and the door. Both human and trainer moved with the same easy grace of a predator, footsteps falling without a sound. The Ninetales crimson eyes flashed as it studied Patrick and Nidoran, before returning to scanning the rest of the room's dark corners.

With a smile and a nod, the trainer passed by Patrick and through the front door.

"Badass, isn't she." Samuel's voice said, right behind Patrick's ear.

"Gah!" Was Patrick's intelligent response as he stumbled forward and spun. Samuel was only a couple years older than Patrick but had been a trainer for over a decade, getting his first Pokémon at the traditional age of 10. Slightly shorter than Patrick, he had a mop of brown hair and mischievous eyes, which were currently laughing at his pupils' actions.

"She just picked up an assignment in town. Ranger level." Samuel stated, waiting for Patrick's awed reaction.

Gym's functioned not just as a place to train and be trained but also as a job office of sorts. Residents in the town or surrounding area would post a job, typically with the gym leader but Samuel had taken on those responsibilities, and a level would be assigned based on difficulty. Simple jobs like scaring away Rattata or finding a missing Pokémon would usually be classified at a 1 or 2 badge level. Any trainer with a minimum of 1 badge could take the job. More difficult jobs, like stopping a rampaging Snorlax or relocating a territorial Rhydon would be considered a 5-6 badge level. Escort jobs could be anywhere from 1-8 badge level depending on duration, route and importance of the person requiring escort.

Ranger level jobs were for those trainers who had obtained all 8 badges AND passed the tests of all Elite 4 members. Those jobs were very rare, very dangerous and very lucrative.

"Wow…" Patrick muttered, looking back at the door that she had exited through. "What's the job?"

"No idea, I wasn't even allowed to read the description. Just to advertise as ranger level and give it to a willing trainer." Samuel explained, "Most jobs at that level are like that. They usually involve VIPs or stopping criminal activities that is all need-to-know basis."

"Shouldn't the police be involved in things like that." Patrick asked, specifically about the criminal activities part.

"Oh, the police are involved. They are the ones that post the jobs sometimes. But the police are just regular humans with an assortment of Growlithes, Zubat, maybe a couple other low-mid level Pokémon. They just don't have the firepower like a ranger would have." Samuel said, clipping on his pokéball belt and getting ready for the excursion out of the city. "We're heading out the west gate today by the way."

Exiting the gym, the two men made their way through the city towards the west gate. Patrick asking Samuel about any other Ranger level jobs he had given.

"Like I said, most are very hush hush and I either don't know what they are or I can't tell you what I do know. Still, some have been interesting. One job was directly from the elite 4 asking for rangers to help with exploring and mapping the cerulean cave system. Not sure what they found but no one has been allowed in there since. Another was to escort the Saffron royal family to a PR event in Viridian. This one time, there was a job for a ranger to…" Samuel went on to describe all the exciting and dangerous jobs he had seen over the years he had worked at the gym.

Patrick listened intently, imagining himself as a ranger and doing all the jobs Samuel described. His future team filled with powerful Pokémon like Charizard, Gyarados, maybe Arcainine or even a Dagonite! He wondered if that bald man was a ranger. With how strong Houndoom was, it was very likely. Patrick would need a strong team if they ever crossed paths again.


End file.
